About the song
Waiting for a Train is a song written and recorded by Jimmie Rodgers and released by the Victor Talking Machine Company as the flipside of “Blue Yodel No. 4” in February 1929. Although it was not a commercial success at the time, it has since become one of Rodgers’ most famous songs and has been covered by many other artists, including Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, and The Grateful Dead.
The song is a first-person narrative about a hobo who is down on his luck and waiting for a freight train to take him to a better place. The lyrics are simple but evocative, and Rodgers’s yodeling adds to the song’s mournful atmosphere. The song has been praised for its realism and its depiction of the hardships of life during the Great Depression.
“Waiting for a Train” is a classic country song that has stood the test of time. It is a moving and evocative portrait of a man who is down on his luck but still has hope for the future. The song’s simple lyrics and Jimmie Rodgers’s yodeling make it a timeless classic.
Here are some additional details about the song and its significance:
- The song is considered to be one of the first country blues songs.
- It was inspired by Rodgers’s own experiences as a hobo during the Great Depression.
- The song has been covered by many other artists, including Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, and The Grateful Dead.
- It has been featured in several films and television shows, including “The Grapes of Wrath” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”.
- The song is considered to be a classic of American music.